Annular packing with metallic reinforcement

ABSTRACT

Spirally wound ribbons of metallic and asbestos-type amiantite materials form an annular packing for fluids. Adjacent spirally wound turns are glued to each other and turns of materials differ to provide portions of all metal and all amiantite. Turns are formed into guidance eyes or ears for passage of bolts and thus cooperating for truing and fixing the packing in place. Metallic ribbon is formed of one material selected from aluminum, copper, nickel, lead, iron and stainless steel in a thickness ranging from 0.05 up to 3 mm. while thickness of the amiantite portions are provided for different fluids.

' United States Patent [72] lnve ntor Giuseppe Salono Via Piave, 50, Quinto de'Stampi, Rozzano- Milan, Italy [21] Appl. No. 580,961 [22] Filed Sept. 21, I966 [45] Patented Jan. 19, 1971 [32] Priority Sept. 29, 1965, July 27, 1966 [33] Italy [31] 9560/65 and 20766/66 [54] ANNULAR PACKING WITII METALLIC REINFORCEMENT 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 277/204, 277/235, 277/237 [51] Int. Cl F16j1S/02 [50] Field of Search 277/20 1 203, 227. 2 7, 233 235 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 816,478 3/1906 Kirschning 277/204 1,521,603 1/1925 DeWitt 277/204X The Gasket Published by Goetze Gasket & Packing Co., Inc. Copy Available in Group (277/204) Nov. 17, 1944 Primary Examiner-Laverne D. Geiger ASSistant Examiner-Jeffrey S. Mednick Attorney-Walter Becker ABSTRACT: Spirally wound ribbons of metallic and asbestostype amiantite materials form an annular packing for fluids. Adjacent spirally wound turns are glued to each other and turns of materials differ to provide portions of all metal and all amiantite. Turns are formed into guidance eyes or ears for passage of bolts and thus cooperating for truing and fixing the packing in place. Metallic ribbon is formed of one material selected from aluminum, copper, nickel, lead, iron and stainless steel in a thickness ranging from 0.05 up to 3 mm. while thickness of the amiantite ranges from 0.4 to 6 mm. Differing types of amiantite portions are provided for different fluids.

ANNULAR PACKING WITH METALLIC REINFORCEMENT Packings of different forms and dimensions have been known and circulated in trade for many years, which are formed by at least one spiral compressed asbestos board also called amiantite in this specification'and which are obtained by winding around on itself at a'predetermined perimeter, a ribbon with its turns directly glued one to the other.

According to the present invention, it was subsequently proposed to improve packings of this type by winding, during the winding stage, a ribbon of amiantite and a ribbon of metal.

An annular packing wasafterwards proposed in accordance with the present invention, which has any cross section and any perimeter and is characterized by the fact that it is con stituted by at least two ribbons concentrically wound in spirals, one of which is a ribbon of amiantite, while the other is a metallic ribbon, constituting a reinforcement effective to increase the radial resistance of the packing, the width of said ribbons being about equal to the thickness of the packing.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, it is proposed to insert between the turns of compressed asbestos a metal spiral which begins after one or more turns of the amiantite ribbon, with which it is wound as a pair for two or more turns, with a maximum limit towards the external perimeter of the packing where the metallic spiral finishes, at least one turn before that of a amiantite, in order to assure a more efficient glueing and a better finishing to the packing. Normally, the width of the two spiral-wound ribbons (metal and amiantite) will be equal therefore the metal, in section, will be disposed along vertical lines without transverse curves and without undulations.

The metallic spiral is preferably constituted of: aluminum, Armco iron, copper, nickel or lead, and might also be constituted of stainless steel. l

The thicknesses of the metal ribbons may vary from 0.05-

-l; 0.15-0.20; l, 2, 3 mm., while the distance between the metallic turns can be of 0.4; 0.5; l; 0.5; 2; 3; 4; 6 mm. Said distance is occupied by the thickness of the amiantite ribbon.

The number of metallic turns can be prearranged as desired taking into consideration the thickness of the packing, beginning from any starting point in the-body of the latter. For example, for applications adapted to assure the seal under vacuum conditions, the turns will begin after the winding of the compressed asbestos board, and-will stop after two or three revolutions with a turn to turn distance of 2 or 3 mm., while for the remaining thickness of the packing, only the spiral of compressed asbestos board or-amiantite continues.

Any form and dimension is possible, any section, any thickness from 1.5 up to a maximum of 500 mm., likewise the face width of the packing can vary from 1.5 to 700 mm.

Packings with turns of amiantite wound with metallic turns in accordance with the invention, may be realized in all the types of packing already known with spirals of compressed asbestos board.

In addition packings having special profile and area adapted for particular applications may be realized.

The accompanying drawings diagrammatically represent, by way of nonlimiting example, some special types of packing carried out in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the packing having a circular ring shape.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment, analogous to that of FIG. 1, but provided with a spigot.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment, in which the amiantite used is of two different types.

FIG. 4 shows yet another embodiment of the packing having, in plan view, a polygonal form.

FIG. 5 shows still another embodiment of the packing having, in plan view, the form of a circular ring provided with connecting sections in the form of radii leaving from the inside circle of the ring and going near the center.

FIG. 6 shows a cross section taken along the line A-A in FIG. 7 of a packing having two radially connected rings.

FIG. 7 shows a portion of the plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows, a plan view of a polygonal packing with turn portion having loop forms and projecting for the passage of locking bolts.

With particular reference to FIG. I, it is seen that the packing I is constituted by two concentrically wound spiral ribbons 2 and 3. The ribbon 2 is a ribbon of amiantite, that is to say, of compressed asbestos board, while the ribbon 3 is a metallic ribbon whichconstitutes a reinforcement adapted to increase the radial resistance of the packing.

The width of both the ribbons 2 and 3 is equal to the thickness of the packing.

In FIG. I the metal ribbon is wound in a plurality of turns throughout the whole width of the packing. However the present invention also allows the metal ribbon 3 to be spiralwound for at least two complete turns extending only into part of the packing width. The metallic ribbon can be wound more or less closely in its turns depending on the radial thickness presented by the amiantite ribbon 2.

In FIG. 2, a packing 5 is shown which is entirely analogous to that of FIG. I but in which the metallic ribbon 3 is extended until it projects from the external surface of the packing, in

order to form a spigot 6; this latter is particularly useful for handling the packing. Instead of a spigot, a loop or an ear can be obtained in an analogous way.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the packing 7 does not have a single metallic ribbon 3, but it presents at a part of its width a first amiantite ribbon having the reference numeral 8and at the remaining part, a second amiantite ribbon having the reference numeral 9. Said ribbons 8 and 9 are of different types adapted to close tightly with respect to different fluids. for example, as heating coils for nafta or as cooling coils for sulfuric acid.

The packing according to the present invention can present, as above said, any cross section; it can likewise present in plan view, not only forms having circular ring shapes, but also polygonal forms. This latter embodiment is shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the packing according to the present invention, which presents in plan view a circular ring form, provided with a plurality of internal connecting members in the' form of radii leavingfrom inside circle of the ring and going near the center. Naturally, said connecting members may have forms other than that of radii, for example they may be in the form of diameters or chords etc. of the inside circle of the ring, and in the case of packings of polygonal form, they have the disposition of transverse segments connecting the sides of the polygon.

In the modification illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the packing includes an external-band- 11, formed of a single ribbon of wound amiantite, and an internal second band 12 formed by various differently formed zones 12', 12'. That is to say, there are three zones 12' of greater thickness, in which layers of amiantite ribbon are alternated with layers of metallic ribbon, and two lower zones 12"forrned entirely and only of amiantite ribbon. The zones 11 and 12 are connected to each other by transverse or radial elements 13 of limited width and minor thickness, also formed by segments of ribbon turns, which occupy the annular zone between the band 11 and the band 12, in which zone the locking bolts usually pass. The radial pieces 13 can easily be eliminated in the cases in which they coincide with a locking bolt. These packings are useful also for tightly closing two facing planes, which have not been ground, or for planes formed of enamel, graphite, stonewear etc.

It is clear that the number of projecting zones 12 of amiantite and metal may vary and that the packing may present a greater or lesser number of ribs and therefore of grooves. In particular cases (underground tanks), it is convenient for the projecting portions 12' to be entirely of metal, for example lead.

In other packings, the projecting zones 12 may be entirely of amiantite ribbon and the lower ones of metallic and amiantite ribbon interwound.

FIG. 8 shows a further embodiment obtainable with the type of packing'in' accordance with the present invention, in which some turns'of'the external band 14 are displaced from the preceeding peripheral turn and are wound in a looping configuration displacedat some points so as to form in various 'positions the eyelets l5, 15 which are used for connection by locking bolts and therefore permit a better settling of the packing in its seat, thereby avoiding lateral slidings.

The packing according to the present invention in its different embodiments above described, presents a such greater radial resistance than packings of known type.

Thus in many cases it allows elimination of the male and female flanges necessary for assembly of the packings of known type.

When the male and female flanges are locked, the packing according to the present'invention, offers a notable contribution to sealing attributable to the presence of the metallic rib bon constituting the reinforcement.

' Other features besides those above described can be produced to improve the packing according to the present invention without going outside the protective field of the invention.

I claimi v l. A packing ring made up of flat strips of metal and of compressed asbestos fibers, one strip of metal and one strip of compressed asbestos fibers being wound in face to face engagement into a first plurality of'convolutions to form an endless packing member, said strips having radially outer and radially inner axially extending peripheral surfaces and flat parallel radially extending'end surfaces,'sai d strips also including at least one strip' of compressed asbestos'fibers wound circumferentially into a plurality of additional"convolutions spaced radially outwardly from said first plurality of convolutions, and circumferentially spaced radially extending rib members interposed between T dsupportinglyjengaging the said first and said additional co vo ons', and cement joining said stripsin face to face engagement to eaclt other and to the radially extendingrib members. i

2. A packing ring according to claim l in which the said rib members a're'of less axial heighti'thari the adjoining spaced convolutions.

3. A packing ringaccording to claim 1, in which said additional convolutions spaced radially? outwardly from said first plurality of cdnvolutions include at least two series of. radially spaced convolutions, each sfe'ries being'cornposed of alternating strips of metal and compressed asbestos fibers; and interveningeonvolutions between said series of convolutions of asbestos fibers of less axialheight than the convolutions of said series. 7 v 

1. A packing ring made up of flat strips of metal and of compressed asbestos fibers, one strip of metal and one strip of compressed asbestos fibers being wound in face to face engagement into a first plurality of convolutions to form an endless packing member, said strips having radially outer and radially inner axially extending peripheral surfaces and flat parallel radially extending end surfaces, said strips also including at least one strip of compressed asbestos fibers wound circumferentially into a plurality of additional convolutions spaced radially outwardly from said first plurality of convolutions, and circumferentially spaced radially extending rib members interposed between and supportingly engaging the said first and said additional convolutions, and cement joining said strips in face to face engagement to each other and to the radially extending rib members.
 2. A packing ring according to claim 1, in which the said rib members are of less axial height than the adjoining spaced convolutions.
 3. A packing ring accordIng to claim 1, in which said additional convolutions spaced radially outwardly from said first plurality of convolutions include at least two series of radially spaced convolutions, each series being composed of alternating strips of metal and compressed asbestos fibers, and intervening convolutions between said series of convolutions of asbestos fibers of less axial height than the convolutions of said series. 